Stillwater grad's Mexico death ruled an accident

Student, 20, probably fell and hit his head

Josh Gunderson was a hockey standout at Stillwater Area High School and a young man who would do well in whatever he chose to do, his coach said Wednesday.

But Gunderson's life was cut short Tuesday when he apparently fell in a hotel bathroom while on spring break in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Officials said Gunderson, 20, was found dead just after midnight Tuesday at the Sheraton Hotel in the coastal resort town.

Gunderson was a student at the University of St. Thomas and a 2007 graduate of Stillwater Area High School.

"He displayed all the character and leadership skills at a young age," Housley said, "and developed into one of the most promising players."

State and local police are investigating the incident, though it appears to have been an accident, said Manuel Banuelos, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Consulate in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The daily Spanish-language newspaper Siempre Libres reported Wednesday that authorities were called to the Sheraton on Tuesday morning, where Gunderson's body had been found in the bathroom of Room 1203. He was lying on his left side with blood on his face, the paper reported.

A family member who asked to not be identified told the Pioneer Press that Gunderson flew to Mexico on Monday with two friends, Zachery David Harold Jensen, 26, of Hopkins, and Ashley Jones, 18, of Minnetonka, and the three were staying together in the hotel.

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She said authorities told the family that Gunderson died from severe trauma but that there were no signs of violence. She also said Gunderson's body is expected to be returned to Minnesota today.

"He was a No. 1 kid who was loved by many people," she said.

Police interviewed Jensen and Jones, a freshman at the University of St. Thomas, with the help of a bilingual attorney, according to the Siempre Libres newspaper.

Authorities speculated, according to the newspaper, that Gunderson could have slipped and fallen, hitting the back of his head. His death was thought to be instantaneous. A forensics expert determined the cause of death was a forceful blow to the back of the head, according to the newspaper.

Gunderson attended St. Mary's University of Winona last year and transferred to St. Thomas in the fall. He was a forward on St. Thomas' club hockey team, according to the club's Web site.

Gunderson, a left winger on the Stillwater Area High School hockey team, was a three-year letterman and was team captain his junior and senior years. He also won the Hubbard Award, given each year to a player who plays the game with a high level of integrity and skill.

Housley described Gunderson as a passionate player who loved and absorbed the game and never backed down. His personality was contagious, Housley said, and he was a constant jokester who always had a sly grin on his face.

"You knew this kid was special," Housley said. "All the skill and grace he displayed, you knew he would do well in whatever he chose to do."